Health Information

Covers importance of taking the right dose of the right high blood pressure medicines at the right time. Explains how medicines control high blood pressure. Includes working with your doctor to make a plan for taking your medicines.

Covers importance of taking the right dose of the right high blood pressure medicines at the right time. Explains how medicines control high blood pressure. Includes working with your doctor to make a plan for taking your medicines.

High Blood Pressure: Taking Medicines Properly

Introduction

Make your medicine schedule as simple as you can.
Take your medicines when you are doing other things, like eating a
meal or getting ready for bed. This will make it easier for you to remember to
take them.

Take a list of your medicines—or
bring your medicines with you—when you visit your doctor. Include any medicines
that were prescribed by other doctors and all your
nonprescription medicines including vitamins and supplements. Review the list with your doctor, and discuss any
side effects you are having or need to watch for.

Talk with your
doctor if you are having problems with your medicine schedule. Your doctor may
be able to change your medicines or change the times you
take them.

Talk with your doctor if you have
any changes in your health that might affect your blood pressure, such as
weight gain, side effects of medicines, or another medical
problem.

Consider daily or weekly pill
containers. These can help you remember which medicines to take and
when to take them.

Follow healthy lifestyle habits.
These include staying at a healthy weight, exercising, not
smoking, and following a
healthy eating plan. If
you do these things, your doctor may be able to
reduce the amount of medicine you take. And the medicines may
work better.

How can you take your blood pressure medicines properly?

Medicines work really well to control high blood pressure in
most people. But they won't work if you don't take them as directed.
Here's how you can get started on taking your medicines properly.

Get organized

It may not be too hard for
most people to remember to take just one pill a day. But if you start adding
more pills—pills that you need to take at different times and in different
doses—it can get confusing.

A key to taking
your medicines properly is to stay organized:

Make a list. Make a written or typed list of every
medicine you take, including things like aspirin and
vitamins. Keep it up to date. Take a copy with you
every time you go to the doctor.
Use a form(What is a PDF document?). Include space to
write down any side effects you have.

Make a schedule. Make a
written or typed daily schedule of when you should take each of your medicines.
Put it where you can easily see it every day—on the door of your
medicine cabinet, for example.
Use a daily planner(What is a PDF document?). Take it along when you travel.

Use a pillbox. Pillboxes can
really help you keep track of your pills. Some hold a week's worth, with
separate compartments for morning, noon, evening, and
bedtime.

Use alarms.
Set your computer, wristwatch, or cell phone to beep when it's time to take
your pills.

Simplify. Ask your doctor if you can
make your pill schedule simpler. For example, maybe you could take
one longer-acting pill every day instead of several shorter-acting
ones.

Control costs. Compare prices between several
drugstores, and consider mail-order
drugstores. Ask your doctor if there is a generic brand you can take to save
money.

Become an expert

The
more you know about your medicines, the easier it will be to stay on your
schedule and take your pills properly.

Know your
medicines. Have your doctor clearly explain what
each medicine does. Write down both the
brand and
generic names. Have your doctor check the list. You
can use this list to verify that the medicines you get from the pharmacy are
correct.

Store medicines properly. Your
doctor or pharmacist can tell you how to store your
medicines. Don't let your medicines get too hot or too
cold. Always store them out of the reach of
children.

Watch for side effects. Ask your
doctor or pharmacist about what side effects to expect. Write them
down if you don't think you'll be able to remember them. Be sure to
tell your doctor if you have side effects.

Have a plan for missed doses. Talk with
your doctor about what you should do if you accidentally miss a dose of a
medicine. Discuss what to do for each medicine, because it may be different for
each one. Write it down.

Talk to your doctor before you start taking other medicines. This includes other prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some medicines
can interact with each other and keep blood pressure medicines from working
right. Or they can cause a bad reaction. Medicines that
could cause a problem include:

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.